Green Options » Melissa and Doug

See and Spell Puzzles Teach Children

Jennifer Lance — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 22:51:00 +0000

Melissa and Doug See and Spell is a wooden puzzle in which children select letters that fit into recessed spots to spell the word that matches the picture on each wooden “card”. When evaluating my preschool learning environment, one thing that was required but missing were puzzles that spell words. Melissa and Doug See and Spell filled this void in my preK environment.

Melissa and Doug See and Spell is very appealing to the children in my program, and a great way to teach letter recognition, letter shape, phonics, etc. Each wooden “card” has two sides, totaling 20 words in all children can spell. The words are all high frequency, three and four letter words. This toy is recommended for children 4-7 years old; however, I have found that younger children really enjoy it too, especially with a little bit of scaffolding. Parents can limit the letter choices for very young children to ensure their success. Of course, young children require close supervision for choking hazards. The letters are large, but they say that anything that can fit though an empty toilet paper roll is a choking hazard. For my six-year-old daughter, the toy is too simplistic to sustain play when no longer novel.

I have noticed that many readers have come to Eco Child’s Play by searching for Melissa and Doug toy recalls. It is true that most Melissa and Doug toys are made in China; however, this company is not involved in any of the recent recalls. Melissa and Doug state that they test each batch of toys twice (once in China and once in USA) before distributing them. The testing is not done by an outsourced company, but by Melissa and Doug employees. For more information, please visit:
Duck Duck Goose Boutique
Crunchy Domestic Goddess
China Free Christmas
If you are boycotting Chinese toys because of safety concerns, then you may feel comfortable with Melissa and Doug. If you are boycotting Chinese toys because of their human rights violations, then you will not feel better knowing Melissa and Doug test their toys twice. I have heard conflicting thoughts on boycotting China because of the situation in Tibet. I have heard that the Dalai Lama has said that it would hurt people to boycott China, and this would not be the compassionate approach. I have also read that many Tibet liberation groups support such boycotts. Personally, I have adopted a modified boycott of Chinese products, weighing in man factors before making purchases. Perhaps this is lame, perhaps it is not. I don’t really know…

Magnetic Dolls….Better Than Paper Dolls!

Jennifer Lance — Sun, 24 Jun 2007 14:22:00 +0000

Two years ago, my daughter received a magnetic princess dress up doll similar to Melissa and Doug’s Princess Elise Magnetic Dress-Up Doll. The magnetic parts adhere to the doll easily and are durable, compared to paper doll clothing. Not only are the magnetic backed wooden parts long lasting, but they are much easier for little hands to manipulate and thus do not cause the frustration. I remember being in tears as a child when my paper dolls tore, and these paper dolls required adult assistance to play with at a young age.

Our magnetic doll has been repeatedly played with and hardly rests on a shelf at all. Melissa and Doug’s Princess Elise Magnetic Dress-Up Dollcomes with 24 pieces and is low priced ($7.50). There is a stand for the doll; however, we mostly play with our doll lying flat. The stand is useful when you have more than one doll to interact with each other in dramatic play. Melissa and Doug’s Princess Elise Magnetic Dress-Up Dollis recommended for children three-years old and older; however, with close supervision, younger children can enjoy this wooden toy. Some of the pieces, such as the shoes and crowns, pose choking hazards, but a parent could remove these items to allow a younger child to play with the doll independently.

A Little Wooden Dollhouse

Jennifer Lance — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 13:51:00 +0000

For my daughter’s first birthday, we gave her Melissa and Doug’s Deluxe Wooden Fold and Go Dollhouse. The recommended age rating is three years old, but we felt we could watch her closely and hide away small parts until she was older. Five years later, she still plays with her Melissa and Doug’s Deluxe Wooden Fold and Go Dollhouse, although she does wish for a bigger dollhouse. Melissa and Doug’s Deluxe Wooden Fold and Go Dollhouseis perfect for little spaces like our cabin. It is compact, yet it comes with ample wooden furniture and two wooden figurines.

Over time, we added Melissa and Doug’s Family Doll Setto extend the pretend play, as well as more wooden doll house furniture. I still remember my daughter in the early stages of talking and toilet learning playing with the dolls on the wooden potty. She would say, “Peepee in potty,” then wash the doll’s hands. She did this over and over again. Now that she is almost six, she has painted the rooms, finger knitted rugs and blankets, etc.

Parents often think of dollhouses as gender specific toys; however, I have noticed that boys love dollhouses too. Our Melissa and Doug’s Deluxe Wooden Fold and Go Dollhouse was the first toy one of my daughter’s little male friends would play with at our house. My son also enjoys our dollhouse. The large doll house at our preschool is very popular with the male students too. Melissa and Doug’s Deluxe Wooden Fold and Go Dollhouseis affordable, at about $30.00, and compact, allowing every little child a chance to have a dollhouse.

Tin and Wooden Tea Sets for Children

Jennifer Lance — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 14:38:00 +0000

Both male and female children love to play with tea sets as part of their dramatic play. We have previously owned a ceramic tea set, but inevitably cup handles, plates, etc. broke. You also have to be cautious when purchasing a ceramic tea set to be sure the glazes do not contain lead. A few months ago, we discovered Magic Cabin’s Children’s Tin Tea Set. This little tea set is durable, aesthetically pleasing to little people, and comes with 15 individual pieces. The only drawback is that the Children’s Tin Tea Set is made in China. Real liquids can be placed in the cups and tea pot, but these liquids should be at room temperature since the cups are made of tin. My son likes to play with it at the sink and practice his pouring skills. Sand also provides another medium to practice and experiment with pouring.

Magic Cabin also offers a Curious George Tea Set, if you are looking for a tea set with a gender neutral design. The pail, along with the Curious George Tea Set, makes this set perfect for taking to the beach or garden. Both Magic Cabin sets cost about $16.00.

Melissa and Doug make a delightful Wooden Tea Set. This Wooden Tea Setis very popular at my preschool program, but it is more expensive at $25.00 than the tin sets mentioned previously. The Wooden Tea Setonly comes with two tea settings, and the painted wood makes it strictly for dramatic play. The children at my preschool love to cook with sand in the dramatic play kitchen center, and this Wooden Tea Setis always part of the play.

Giant Bugs on the Floor!

Jennifer Lance — Tue, 22 May 2007 03:22:00 +0000

I still remember the day my daughter graduated from wooden peg puzzles to real puzzles with interlocking pieces. It felt like a rite of passage, as she explored the spatial relationships and put images together. My daughter’s first puzzle was the Melissa and Doug Bugs Floor Puzzle. Three years later, this puzzle is still a favorite, and the large pieces are easy for little hands. When put together, the Melissa and Doug Bugs Floor Puzzlemeasures 46.5 inches wide! Made of 24 heavy grade cardboard pieces, this puzzle holds up well to repeated use. Melissa and Doug make many other wonderful large full puzzles, including wooden versions that are more expensive. The Melissa and Doug Bugs Floor Puzzle is affordable at about $10.

Please visit our biweekly post on GNM Parents: A Little Greener: Forgo the Amusement Park and Take Your Family Camping!

Melissa and Doug Sound Blocks

Jennifer Lance — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 03:31:00 +0000

We have both the Melissa and Doug Wooden Sound Vehicle Blocks and the Melissa and Doug Wooden Farm Sound Blocks. By matching up the images on both blocks, children are positively reinforced with the corresponding sound. Just like other Melissa and Doug natural toys, the sound blocks are made of high quality wood. My daughter thinks it is funny to switch the blocks to the other set’s base, thus the train will moo like a cow. This is only possible if you have both sets of sound blocks and appropriate for an older child to problem solve. For younger toddlers, the sound blocks offer a simple two piece puzzle that rewards them when they succeed. The sound blocks are affordable, at about ten dollars, and they make a nice gift. We were given one of our sets, and I had purchased the other set for my son’s first birthday.

Global Warming Will Hurt Children First

Jennifer Lance — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 23:01:00 +0000

Today, Treehugger reports that children are already bearing the brunt of global warming. Children in third world countries are the ones most at risk from global warming effects. “The reason, as Rajendra Pachauri, chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change puts it is because ‘The poorest of the poor in the world — and this includes poor people in prosperous societies — are going to be the worst hit,’ and ultimately because ‘People who are poor are least able to adapt to climate change.’ Well, the grim reality in our world today is that children as a social group fall right at the bottom of the economic pile, and that regardless of what part of the planet they come from the reasons are very much the same… Their youth means that they have the least physical, political, intellectual, and therefore economic power available to affect the changes that can benefit themselves.” Up to 175 million children will be affected each year in the next decade from climate-related disasters like droughts, floods and storms, according to Save the Children. “Children are already bearing the brunt of climate change and there will be millions more children caught up in climate-related natural disasters every year,” said Jasmine Whitbread, head of Save the Children UK.

The above image is of the Melissa and Doug floor puzzle Children of the World.

Every Child Deserves a Set of Blocks

Jennifer Lance — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 14:02:00 +0000

Every child deserves a good set of Standard Unit Blocks! Blocks are perhaps the quintessential toy for child development. Creative play and imagination abound when playing with natural toy blocks. If you buy your child a toy car, the toy car is always a car. If you give your child blocks, a block can be a car, a train, a telephone, a bed, etc. The only limits are your child’s imagination. At one point in my life, I had the romantic notion that I would make my children a set of blocks. A wise friend, who had tried it, advised me against it. A good set of blocks has been sanded to softness and the corners have been routed to roundness. I personally prefer the unpainted blocks. Melissa and Doug make an affordable option. The age recommendation is three years old, like most toys because of liability issues, but I would not wait until my child was three to introduce them to the wonderful world of blocks. School sets of unit blocks can be very pricey. The Melissa and Doug architectural blocks are more affordable and made of quality hardwoods. If you child becomes quite the block fanatic, you may need two sets, as there are only four columns in each set. Just like most Melissa and Doug toys, the blocks come in a nice wooden box with handles that can be used for quick clean up and storage. Remember, children’s work is play!

Pound and Roll-But Watch Those Fingers!

Jennifer Lance — Tue, 23 Jan 2007 23:50:00 +0000

Melissa and Doug’s Pound and Roll toy is a very affordable, great gift for a toddler. My children began to play with this natural toy around two years of age. The Pound and Roll is a variation of the classic pounding toy you probably grew up with, only this toy has the added bonus of balls rolling down chutes. Do watch those fingers! Most children will inevitably hit their fingers when using the hammer for the first time…but hey, what a great lesson in cause and effect! Also, the hammer is made of wood and will dent other furniture. Young children are quite capable of learning the appropriate use of this tool and avoiding this destructive problem. It takes several square hits to get the ball to roll down the chute, which is great practice for eye/hand coordination. The brightly colored balls are also great for learning color names.

Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner

Jennifer Lance — Sat, 20 Jan 2007 15:41:00 +0000

In follow up to the Magic Cabin Mini Kitchen post, it was suggested by Jeremiah McNichols of Z Recs that I review other dramatic play kitchen items that are less expensive. Our cabin is small, and we do not have room for a separate play kitchen. By purchasing a few natural toy kitchen items for pretend play, we have been able to foster our children’s natural instinct to cook and prepare meals. Many of Melissa and Doug’s play food comes with pieces that are attached with velcro. Children can use the wooden knives to cut apart the food, and the velcro allows them to reassemble the food into different meals. The only drawback is that the velcro will get plugged with dog hair, fuzz, etc., and the pieces will not hold together very well. We have had our slicing food set 4 years, before we noticed this problem. It is possible to clean out the velcro, and then the toy is as good as new. It is very easy to extend kitchen play into a restaurant theme by creating a menu. This is a favorite activity at our preschool. You don’t have to spend a lot of money on a play kitchen in order for your child to enjoy dramatic food play. For more great pretend play food items, please visit ecochildsplay online store, in which we have hand-selected items from Amazon.com.

Finally, A Safe Sippy Cup

Jennifer Lance — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 17:05:00 +0000

I am so excited to have found a non-leaching, safe sippy cup made by Klean Kanteen , the stainless steel alternative to plastic. Klean Kanteen makes the best stainless steel water bottles. They are odor free and do not taste like metal. We have tried other stainless steel bottles that smell horribly and are lined with epoxy. Plastic/polycarbonate bottles leach bisphenol-A (BPA), a chemical that mimics the hormone estrogen, and can cause chromosomal abnormalities. An article a friend gave me stated that baby bottles are made of the worst kind of plastic, as well as the Nalgene bottles I have used for decades. Any Klean Kanteen bottle can be turned into a sippy cup by buying the adaptor and spouts. Of course the Klean Kanteen sippy cup costs more than plastic versions, but the cost is small when you consider the benefit to your child’s health. Besides, as my daughter said, now my son is the coolest kid in preschool with his shiny Klean Kanteen sippy cup.
Here are a couple links to articles discussing the dangers of plastic food and beverage containers:
Hazards of Hydration (Sierra Club)
Bottle Racket (Grist)

The only drawback to the Klean Kanteen sippy cup is it is made in China. The company states it is “responsibly made in China”, but for a few of my friends boycotting Chinese products, this may be a tough decision. I have pledged to boycott Chinese products due to their human rights violations (especially in regards to Tibet), however I have found it almost impossible to completely avoid Chinese products. Even Melissa and Doug toys are made in China! Since signing the pledge to boycott Chinese products, I have become more aware of where the products I buy are made. On many occassions, I have decided not to buy something because it was made in China; however, the Klean Kanteen sippy cup offers the only alternative to plastic sippy cups I have found. Thus, I decided to violate my pledge by purchasing this safe, sippy cup. For more information on boycotting China, please visit Access to Awareness.

Fridge Fun with Wooden Magnetic Letters

Jennifer Lance — Sun, 14 Jan 2007 15:25:00 +0000

Thank you Melissa and Doug for saving us from those plastic magnetic refrigerator letters. These wooden magnetic letters are great. The entire back of each letter is covered in one solid magnet, unlike the little chokeable pieces of magnets that always fall out of the plastic kind. Melissa and Doug’s wooden letters consist of 52 letters, including both upper and lower case letters. In my experience as an early childhood educator, it is best to introduce young children to upper case and lower case letters at the same time. When they are learned separately, I have observed more confusion from the children. This product has been rated for children ages 3-8 years old, however I have used them in my home with children as young as one year old. The magnet is securely fixed the back, however I would make sure that young children do not put the letters in their mouth. The paint can come off, and it is probably not wise to chew on magnets. Thank you Melissa and Doug for another great natural toy!

Make Your Own Jewelry

Jennifer Lance — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 16:59:00 +0000

Melissa and Doug/Lights, Camera, Interaction! make several wooden bed jewelry sets. These sets come with everything you need to make great jewelry. The hole size in the beads is large enough for little hands, and beading is great for buiding fine motor control. The alphabet beads are great for learning to spell your name, gifts, and other projects. My daughter made a garland for our live Christmas tree by stringing madrone berries we had collected on a hike with the letters spelling “Merry Christmas.” These jewelry sets make great gifts too! The best part about homemade jewelry made from wooden beads is you don’t have worry about lead content!

Melissa and Doug Farm Nesting Blocks

Jennifer Lance — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 23:34:00 +0000

This is an all time favorite toy in our home! Both of my children love to play with these blocks. My daughter builds high towers using the largest block as the foundation all the way up to the tiniest block. My son loves to place the blocks within each other in the correct order, which is a tidy way of storing them nested together. The farm animals on the sides are great for teaching animal names and sounds. We have had these blocks for over a year and have needed to glue one of the sides on one block back together, otherwise they are very durable. The nice thing about wooden toys is they are easily repaired with wood glue, whereas once a plastic toy breaks it can be difficult to repair. Another great toy from Melissa and Doug!

Discovering Math with an Abacus

Jennifer Lance — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 23:39:00 +0000

Many theories on early childhood education promote children’s natural curiousity to discover mathematical concepts. Given manipulatives, children naturally experiment, hypothesize, and build their own theories. An abacus is a great toy for building such knowledge, and Melissa and Doug make an affordable wooden one of high quality. Many other kinds of manipulatives, like marbles, get lost around the house. I like that the counters are securely attached to the abacus making clean up an ease. On an abacus, the counters are arranged in sets of ten that slide along a metal rod. Initially, I showed my daughter how to add simple problems with the abacus. ON HER OWN, she has discovered the tens place is represented on each row, how to add larger two digit numbers, and how to subtract using the abacus. I have been amazed how her abacus play has evolved to this level. On paper, she is not be able to carry numbers when adding two digit numerals or borrow during subtraction, but she has naturally discovered these properties with the abacus. Of course my two-year-old son just likes to slide the counters and play with the abacus. Eventually his play will lead to numerical sensibility. This toy is really a tool that has its origins in antiquity. It is known to have existed in 1000 BCE in Babylonia and China, according to Wikipedia. Merchants around the world still use this ancient calculator, so it is perfect for our children!

Band in a Box

Jennifer Lance — Mon, 01 Jan 2007 16:12:00 +0000

Melissa and Doug’s Band in a Box is a combination of six musical instruments made from wood and metal. The instruments come in a wooden crate for storage. I love the wooden crates Melissa and Doug toys come in! These crates are sturdy and serve as packaging for the product and storage at home too. The amount of packaging for most toys is overwhelming, with every little part zip tied to a greater piece of cardboard surrounded by plastic. These toys are difficult to open and the wasted resources used for packaging is appalling. Melissa and Doug avoid this problem with their wooden crates that don’t readily end up in landfills. The instruments included in the Band in a Box are cymbals, maracas, triangle, tambourine, clacker, and a wooden percussive instrument (not sure what is called). The favorite in my house is the triangle. All of the instruments are well made and sturdy. My sister read a review in which a mother purchased several sets of The Band in a Box and gave away individual instruments as party favors. This is a great idea and much better than the bags of candy and dollar store junk that is usually given out at birthday parties. My children have started a marching band with these toys. It is really cute as they march around the house playing their instruments, taking turns leading the marching band.

Unicorn

Jennifer Lance — Thu, 28 Dec 2006 23:12:00 +0000

The Melissa and Doug Giant Plush Unicorn fulfills the dreams of any child enchanted with the magical world. My five-year-old daughter opened this gift from her grandmother on the morning of Christmas Eve. The entire day was spent in the world of imagination, in which the unicorn protected her from the darkness in the world. I was amazed at the complexity and length of her dramatic play. Perhaps the play was aided by our reading of Harry Potter and the Sorceror’s stone, in which a unicorn is slain for its life sustaining blood. Or perhaps the play sprung from deep in her imagination, as butterflies swarmed about. Combined with a set of silk play scarves, costumes emerged. As far as the ecofriendliness of the toy, it is made of synthetic fibers; however, it comes from a repudiatable company. The unicorn costs between $90.00-$120.00 and stands over three feet tall. This toy will not be readily discarded and well worth the investment. The only drawbacks to the giant plush unicorn, besides the cost, is it is rather unstable/top heavy and the small head appears somewhat out of proportion with the rest of the body . The unicorn does fall over easily, but the legs can be adjusted to help increase its stability.